We are likewise headed there this summer. General consensus that I found regarding ferry reservations was to make them - particularly if you are a big rig. It was recommended to us to make them at least 2 weeks ahead of time - obviously the sooner the better if you need a guaranteed date. Easy to do on-line. We made ours without difficulty, but there was another fellow on here who claimed he had to cancel his trip because he couldn't get them when he needed them. Dunno if he had tried more than 1 date/time, tho. ST